


Take A Hint

by SapphireStarxx



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Fluff and Smut, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-21
Updated: 2020-12-21
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:15:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28207425
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SapphireStarxx/pseuds/SapphireStarxx
Summary: Kagome and Sango are celebrating Kagome's graduation by dancing and drinking at the club, but unfortunately one guy can't take a hint. Enter Inuyasha, a former classmate of Kagome's-- can she convince him to help her out? Meanwhile Sango meets a charismatic stranger-- will he convince her to give him a chance?
Relationships: Higurashi Kagome/InuYasha, Miroku/Sango (InuYasha)
Comments: 22
Kudos: 66





	Take A Hint

**Author's Note:**

  * For [bluejay785](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluejay785/gifts).



> This was supposed to be a self-indulgent fic I was writing for myself and I wasn't gonna post it until it was ALL done-- until some things happened and bluejay785 needed a pick-me-up. It's not done yet and I have a lot on my plate atm, but I hope you enjoy the first chapter, dear!! But don't worry, it WILL be finished!
> 
> Please leave a comment and/or kudos! They feed my soul.

The music pulsed in the club as the colored strobe lights flashed, lighting up the crowded dance floor. It was a Friday night and everyone was out. Bodies pressed together, people dancing and having a good time as the walls thrummed with the beat of the song currently blasting over the speakers.

Tonight was supposed to be an awesome night for Kagome. A night for celebrating her graduation with her best friend, Sango. And while it had certainly started that way, it was getting increasingly difficult for Kagome to have a good time when she kept getting approached by a guy who wouldn’t take no for an answer. All she wanted to do was cut loose and party with Sango; she wasn’t interested in getting handsy with some random guy.

“For the last time, I’m sorry but I don’t want to dance with you,” Kagome told the man, starting to get annoyed. This was like the third time he had tried to sidle up and place his arms around her.

The man’s piercing blue eyes glinted in the dim light as he looked her over from head to toe. His long brown hair was pulled back into a high ponytail, revealing the pointed ears that marked him as a youkai. A cocky smirk played on his tanned features, fangs poking out over his lips, and Kagome found she was really starting to hate that smug smile of his. He probably thought it was making her go weak in the knees, but in reality all it did was fuel her irritation. His face was flushed with the effects of alcohol which was no doubt making him even more confident. Ugh.

"Come on, babe. My name’s Koga, what’s yours?”

_ I didn’t ask what your name was nor do I care. _ Kagome barely refrained from rolling her eyes. She was trying to be polite, she really was, but her patience was about to snap. Maybe she needed to be a bit more forceful to get him to leave her alone.

“I’ve introduced myself so can’t you at least tell me your name?” Koga continued, leering at her.

“She said she wasn’t interested!” Sango finally cut in, starting to get pissed. She placed herself in front of Kagome and stared him down. “Also, she’s my girlfriend so hands-off.”

Kagome schooled her expression to hide her surprise at Sango’s lie. Playing along, she grabbed at her best friend, wrapping her arms around Sango’s waist and hoping she was doing a convincing impression of a lesbian in love. 

Koga scoffed and grinned. “You know I can tell you’re lying, right?” He tapped his nose.

_ Shit. _ A youkai’s sense of smell could detect lies. She hadn’t thought about that. Apparently, Sango hadn’t either, judging by the look on her face. Those tequila shots from earlier were not helping.

“Well, then the fact that we’re lying about it just shows how unwanted your presence is.” Sango glared without missing a beat. "Get lost before I go find security and tell them to drag your ass out."

"Not to be rude, but you really need to  _ take a hint," _ Kagome added, finally standing her ground. "Just leave me alone!"

"Damn, feisty. Can I at least buy you a--"

"The answer you're looking for is  _ no, _ " Sango interrupted. She grabbed Kagome’s hand and dove into the crowd of people, hoping to lose him. Damn, he was persistent.

"Thanks, Sango," Kagome called over the music as they worked their way through the press of bodies. “Can you believe that guy??”

“Honestly! Nothing more annoying than a guy who can't take the L and move on,” Sango called back, stopping when they had moved a fair distance away from where Koga had been trying (and failing) to make a move on Kagome. 

"Why am I always hit on by the guys I have no interest in?" Kagome groaned. Sure, Koga had been attractive, but he had also been staring fixedly at her boobs and trying to put his hands on her hips. His intentions had been clear. Ugh. No thank you.

“Maybe  _ you _ need to hit on the guys you  _ are _ interested in, then,” Sango teased with a wink.

Kagome rolled her eyes. “Yeah, like that’s happening.”

"Have you seen yourself? You’re the hottest thing in this club right now! I bet any guy you went up to would be thrilled.”

“Whatever;  _ you’re _ the hot one.”

“Kagome Higurashi, don’t make me smack you...”

“Fine, fine! But we both know I don’t have the courage to do something like that.”

“Not yet, you don’t,” Sango grinned. “Time for more drinks!”

Kagome returned her grin, relaxing when it appeared the wolf youkai hadn’t followed them. More alcohol sounded  _ awesome _ to her. This was a night for celebrating her graduation, after all. After spending the past two years slaving away over her master’s degree and sacrificing what little social life she had in exchange for enough stress to almost give her a few gray hairs, the constant studying, and all that hard work...it was time for some fun in her life again. And fun meant dancing and alcohol and a night of no worries with her best friend. 

Going out had actually been Sango’s idea, but Kagome hadn’t taken much convincing. She couldn’t remember the last time she had actually been to a club and danced the night away. It seemed she had also forgotten about how some of the guys at the club behaved, too. Koga’s repeated advances had been starting to sour her night, but now she felt her original excitement beginning to come back. 

Now, moving to the beat of the music, the two of them danced like no one was watching, the alcohol freeing them of their usual inhibitions. Swaying their hips, they raised their hands up to the ceiling, mouthing the lyrics of whichever song was playing with grins on their faces. The minutes blurred together, fueled by more shots and mixed drinks.

Eventually, all that alcohol worked its way through Kagome’s system until she felt the undeniable urge to pee. They were at the bar ordering another round of shots when it suddenly hit her. And the bartender was taking  _ forever _ .

“Sango, I’m gonna go run to the restroom real quick,” Kagome said, almost yelling into Sango’s ear to be heard over the loud music.

At that, Sango turned her attention away from the bartender. “Wait, I’ll go with you.”

“It’s fine! Just stay here for when I get back. We paid for those shots so one of us has to stay here,” Kagome reasoned.

“But--”

“I may be a little drunk, but I  _ am _ an adult and I can find the bathroom on my own.”

“Okay, but if you’re not back in fifteen minutes I’m coming to find you.”

Kagome rolled her eyes but smiled, pulling away from the bar.

There was a line for the bathroom, which wasn’t surprising, but thankfully it moved rather quickly. That was a good thing because Kagome felt like her bladder was about to burst. Once it was her turn she quickly relieved herself then exited the bathroom, ready to go find Sango. Looking up, she froze as she met the grinning face of the wolf youkai. Only a few feet separated them. He casually lounged against the wall outside the bathrooms, arms crossed over his chest. As if he had been waiting for her to be alone. Kagome felt a chill creep up her spine at that.

Desperately, she cast her gaze about. No doubt Sango was still waiting at the bar. This Koga guy clearly didn’t know how to take no for an answer, and Kagome wasn’t sure how to handle it. Briefly, she considered zapping him with her reiki but she didn't want to get kicked out of the club. Just as she was about to latch onto a random girl for help, her eyes caught on a familiar figure standing nearby and her breath nearly caught in her throat.

Yes! Someone she  _ knew. _

The man in question was tall and fit, with long silver hair and fluffy dog ears that Kagome’s fingers suddenly wanted nothing more than to  _ touch.  _ Dark brows were pulled down over his bright gold eyes, his handsome face set in a permanent scowl. He didn’t look particularly pleased to be there but Kagome was suddenly ecstatic that he was.

He was going to be her savior. She hoped.

She had shared a few classes with him in college and even did a group project with him once. And while he hadn’t exactly been very welcoming towards her presence he hadn’t struck her as a bad guy either. She always just chalked it up to him being a hanyou and her being a miko; as much as it secretly pained her, it made sense that he would avoid her. Still, surely he would be willing to help her out. The fact that he was also incredibly hot and she may or may not have developed a slight crush on him wasn’t relevant to the situation (but it certainly didn’t hurt, either).

In their classes together he had always taken the exact opposite seat from hers. At first she had thought it was a coincidence but when it kept happening in every class they shared, Kagome knew she wasn’t imagining it. And then they were paired together for a group project, forced to interact. He was never unkind or rude to her, but he never encouraged interacting with her, either. If it wasn’t about the project they didn’t speak. And she had certainly tried, but every time she attempted to start a conversation she was met with short one or two word answers. 

Then halfway through their project she had gotten sick. The stay-at-home-in-bed kind. Kagome had texted him her apologies that she wouldn't be able to make it in for the next few days and he had shocked her by showing up at her apartment on the second day. He had brought all their work thus far, plus all the notes she had missed in class. And then made her soup.  _ Soup. _ He had  _ taken care of her _ . Oh, he hadn’t spoken much and he had been gruff, wearing a surly expression the whole time, but he had still done kind things for her that had jarred her perception of him. Things that had made her start to have  _ feelings _ for him.

When she was well again Kagome had thought maybe things had changed between them. But when she’d tried to greet him or talk to him in any way, she was met with the same treatment as before. She would have almost thought she had hallucinated the whole experience if he hadn’t left one of his notebooks at her place. Feeling disappointed and now stuck with a pesky crush on a man who didn’t want anything to do with her, she had deleted his number from her phone with a sigh. Their project was over, anyways, so what was the point?

That had been a few months ago. After that class they hadn’t shared any others and Kagome had  _ almost _ forgotten about him. Almost. And now, as fate would have it, he was here at this club. And she was determined for him to help her.

Tearing her gaze away from Koga, she changed directions and made a beeline for the hanyou. It looked like he was out with a friend, a man with longish black hair pulled into a low ponytail and deep indigo eyes. She hoped she wasn’t about to ruin their night but hey, she was a woman in need.

“Heyyyy! There you are!” Kagome called out as she reached their side and pressed herself against the unsuspecting hanyou. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled herself up, feeling him stiffen in surprise at her actions.

“What the--”

“Please help me,” Kagome whispered, knowing his hearing would pick up on her words despite the noise all around them.

As soon as that plea passed her lips, he relaxed a bit, pulling away just enough to look into her face. His eyes were hypnotic and she felt like she could drown in their amber depths. Having his face so close to hers...Kagome had to remind herself to breathe. She wondered if he recognized her or not, but with her vision swimming a bit from all the alcohol it was hard to tell.

“That man behind me has been borderline stalking me all night. I can’t shake him,” Kagome explained quietly. “Pretend you’re my boyfriend. Please.”

“You mean that mangy wolf?” he asked, lowering his head to speak into her ear, his breath hot and his voice gruff. Kagome couldn’t help the shiver that ran through her body at that. She gave a nod and he growled in response, the sound distinctly protective. One of his hands came up to rest on her waist, holding her to him, and she nearly melted into the touch.

From his actions it seemed like he was going to play along. That had been...surprisingly easy.

Leaning back and peering up at him, she saw his gaze was fixed on something, or rather some _one,_ behind her. No doubt having a staredown with Koga. Chancing a glance to the side, Kagome looked at his friend and was unsurprised to see him watching them with interest, his expression shrewd, clearly trying to figure out what was happening. When his eyes flicked from them to Koga and back again there was a question in them. Kagome gave another, barely perceptible nod. The other man’s face twisted into a slight frown. His disapproval over Koga’s persistence was obvious, as was the hanyou’s. And that had to mean one thing.

They were going to help her. Thank God.

Before any explanations could be made, Kagome heard Koga snapping behind her and she couldn’t hold back her flinch. Her involuntary reaction had the hanyou holding her to him even more tightly. Almost...possessively. 

“What the fuck, man?” Koga snarled. “Get your hands off my woman!”

“I think you mean  _ my _ woman. You’ve been sniffin’ around my girlfriend all night and I’m tired of it.”

_ His girlfriend. _ Kagome knew he was just pretending, she  _ knew _ , but it still caused a thrill to run through her.

“She ain’t your girlfriend. Now beat it, dog breath. I claimed her first!”

“You can’t claim what ain’t yours. She’s mine, wolf boy.”

“Yours?” Koga scoffed. “As if someone would choose a mutt like you when they could have a full-blooded youkai like me.”

Kagome’s relief at his willingness to play along evaporated at that, replaced with righteous anger. Koga’s ignorant words made her blood boil and she pulled away to face him, a glare on her face.

“Oh, just shut up! What part of ‘not interested’ do you not fucking  _ get?!”  _ She exploded. “Also, he's my boyfriend so I was never available to begin with! I would choose him over you a million times, in a heartbeat!!”

Her outburst had Koga pulling up short for a second, his face smoothing into the blank look of surprise. The black-haired man barely stifled a laugh and she really couldn’t blame him. Kagome had to admit the sight was pretty ridiculous. Here she was, this petite girl, telling off a rather tall and intimidating youkai. But dammit, she was pissed. And the alcohol was lending her some liquid courage.

“You’re just making it up like you did with that other bitch!” Koga growled, recovering quickly.

“No, I’m not! And Sango isn’t a bitch!”

“Oh, yeah? Then what’s his name?”

Oh, that was easy. Kagome knew him, after all. It was...it was…

_ Shit. _

She couldn’t remember his name. It was on the tip of her tongue, it really was. But it just wouldn’t  _ come _ to her. Kagome blamed the copious amounts of alcohol she had consumed for this gross miscalculation.

“Well, it’s… it’s…ya...inu...sha?”

The black-haired man burst out laughing and the hanyou turned a glare on him. “Oh for fuck’s sake, Miroku, shut up!”

“Ha! That just proves my point,” Koga gloated. “So much for being your girlfriend. She doesn’t even know your fucking name.”

“Shut the fuck up, asshole! She’s obviously had a few. She can probably barely remember her  _ own _ name, right now,” the hanyou argued back, and Kagome closed her eyes in relief at his quick thinking. Only for them to pop right back open at his next words. “Ain’t that right, Kagome?”

_ What? He knows my name! _

“R-right,” she agreed faintly, hastily trying to hide her surprise. If he knew her name that could only mean one thing: he  _ did _ remember her! She couldn’t help but be pleased at this information.

“Tch. Whatever, she ain’t worth it, anyways,” Koga spat before storming off. Despite his exit, Kagome didn’t think she’d be safe from him for the rest of the night. Clearly, he didn’t handle rejection well and she was scared of what he might do if he got her alone. Not that he seemed like he would force himself or anything, but she wasn’t taking any chances. He was obviously drunk and that could make people do very stupid things. Especially when they were angry enough.

“The name’s Inuyasha, by the way,” the hanyou spoke, and Kagome blinked, turning away from where Koga had disappeared into the crowd of people.

“Right. I’m sorry,” she apologized, cringing a little. “It’s...it’s been a while, and like you said, I’ve had a few…”

“Don’t worry about it,” Inuyasha said gruffly. 

“I’m a little surprised you remember me.”

“Don’t be. You’re pretty memorable.”

Kagome’s heart stuttered a bit at those words, and she had to remind herself not to assign any special meaning to them. It also made her feel even worse about not remembering his name. She had been close, though. Well...kind of.

“Um, do you mind keeping this up for the rest of the night?” she asked a bit shyly.

“Oh, for sure. If it means pissin’ off that wolf, I’ll do anything,” he said, giving her a fanged grin. It was a good thing he was still holding onto her because her knees went a bit weak for a second.

And as for his response, well… Not exactly the reason Kagome was hoping for, but she would take it. Obviously, while she still had a crush on him, he was still indifferent to her. Or so she thought until his next words.

“Besides, holdin’ onto ya ain’t exactly a hardship.”

_ What?  _ But Kagome couldn’t read anything in Inuyasha’s expression, so she turned her eyes away from him to look at his friend again. He had been watching them quietly but smiled as her gaze landed on him.

“Hey, I’m Miroku. I figure I’ll just introduce myself since this mannerless lout is, well, mannerless.” 

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and grumbled under his breath.

Kagome returned Miroku’s smile. “Hi. We, uh, had some classes together in college, which is why I came up to you guys. Thanks for going along with this. I didn’t mean to ruin your night.” 

“Oh, don’t worry. You aren’t ruining anything. Inuyasha is doing that just fine on his own. I had to practically drag him here.”

“Because I didn’t want to fuckin’ come. Not interested in being your wingman while ya try to pick up chicks.”

“No, you’re just scaring them all off with that look on your face.”

“Pick up chicks?” Kagome repeated dubiously.

“He makes it sound worse than it actually is,” Miroku defended himself smoothly. “Like being surrounded by alcohol and beautiful women dancing is a bad thing.”

“Ah, so you’re one of  _ those _ guys.”

Miroku’s eyebrows shot up. “What does that mean?”

“You know, those guys who act all charming but really they’re just players, not really interested in anything serious. Or long term.”

Inuyasha started howling with laughter and the sound made Kagome grin in spite of herself. “Damn, she’s got you pegged,” he managed to wheeze out.

Miroku shook his head, his expression one of mock-offense. “Ouch. Please, that’s not entirely true. I’m perfectly willing to be in a serious relationship as soon as I meet the right woman...I just haven’t met her yet.”

“I see,” Kagome said, her tone dry. For some reason, the topic made a thought occur to her and she gasped, pulling out her phone. Sango! With all the excitement she had nearly forgotten. “You can say no, but I could actually use another favor.” She bit her lip as she waited for them to tell her no.

“What is it?” Inuyasha asked. His hand was still draped over her waist and Kagome wondered if that was intentional or if he had just forgotten that his hand was there. Whichever the case, she really hoped he didn’t remove it.

“Well, if Miroku is okay with it...”

“I’m listening,” Miroku said.

“My friend, Sango. She’s waiting for me at the bar, still.” Kagome unlocked her phone and pulled up a picture. “She looks like this,” she said, showing Miroku the picture. “Can you please go tell her what’s going on?”

Miroku leaned in to look at the picture and a delighted grin lit up his face. Kagome suppressed a laugh. He obviously liked what he saw. He would probably like it even better when he caught a glimpse of Sango in her club attire. She had a feeling Sango would find him just as attractive, although she would likely be immune to his charms. Kagome was almost sorry she was going to miss that interaction, but she didn't want to let go of Inuyasha if she could help it. And she had a feeling that Koga was still lurking nearby, watching. Maybe she was being paranoid, but after the way he had followed her and waited for her outside the bathrooms...

“It would be my pleasure,” Miroku replied, looking up from the picture to give Kagome a wink. 

“Thank you!”

As Miroku walked off to go find Sango, Kagome turned her attention back to the hanyou she was still leaning against. Her arms had found their way back around him and he didn’t seem in any hurry to disentangle himself from her. Even if this was only supposed to be an act, she couldn’t deny the way his body felt against hers. It was perfect. 

Part of her wondered why he was so willing to help her now when before he couldn't seem to stand being in the same vicinity as her. He had agreed with zero hesitation, instantly holding her to him, as if it was the most natural thing. Once again, he was jarring her perception of him.

Alcohol. It had to be the alcohol. She shook her head a bit, trying to clear her thoughts.

“Um, thank you again. Really, Inuyasha, I mean it. He’s been trying to hit on me literally all night. Sango got him to back off for a bit, but then when I went to go use the bathroom…” she trailed off with a shudder.

Inuyasha raised his free hand and gently pulled back a piece of hair sticking to her face. Kagome didn’t think anything of the gesture other than to feel some mild embarrassment; clearly, she had missed some things when sprucing herself up in the bathroom. But then his hand stroked through her black tresses in a caress before rising up to rest on her shoulder. It was a perfectly innocent touch and yet Kagome suddenly felt way too hot. She became acutely aware of all the places her body was pressed up against his, and it was a struggle to keep her breathing even.

“Gotta act the part, right?” Inuyasha explained with a half smile. 

It took a moment for his words to penetrate through the haze of her mind. Kagome managed to nod. Of course. That’s all it was. “Right.”

“And I know. I wasn’t lyin’ when I said I noticed him hoverin’ around you all night. Dick.”

Kagome blinked, taking a moment to absorb his words. Again, the alcohol probably wasn’t helping. If he had noticed, then that meant…

“Wait, you knew I was here? You were watching me?”

She knew she should probably be a little weirded out by that but all she felt was flattered. Obviously something was wrong with her. Or she was drunk. Maybe both.

“Ya don’t gotta make it sound so damn creepy,” Inuyasha grimaced. “I just happened to see ya, alright? Also, Miroku wouldn’t shut up about how hot your friend was.”

Well, that explained part of Miroku’s excitement to go off in search of Sango; now he had the perfect excuse to go talk to her. Kagome relaxed. That sounded a lot more reasonable than the conclusions her mind had jumped to. Although it was somewhat impressive that he’d managed to find her in a place so packed, where the only source of illumination was all the flashing colored lights.

“Sorry. I did make you sound creepy, didn’t I?”

“Yeah, just a bit.”

Kagome gave a small smile, feeling shy and awkward, but also a little bold thanks to all those rather strong cocktails. “So, I guess we need to act like we’re a couple now, huh?”

Inuyasha’s eyes left the crowd and returned to her face. The annoyance in his expression melted into something...different. Kagome was hesitant to label it for fear of setting herself up for disappointment again. Besides, she was slightly drunk, so her judgement wasn’t exactly reliable at the moment. Still, she couldn’t seem to look away from him, caught in his amber gaze. How was it that every time she looked into his eyes it felt like the rest of the world had fallen away? 

It was really unfair how attractive he was. And how much she still liked him. Dammit.

“Guess so,” he responded with a slow smile that made her heart beat faster. “What did ya have in mind?”

Kagome flushed as she thought of a few things she’d like to do with him, none of them appropriate. She still needed to come up with an actual answer, though, and blinked. If they were pretending to be a couple it was a reasonable question to ask. Unfortunately, she hadn’t really thought beyond this moment. 

“Well...maybe more touching, kind of like we’re already doing now?” she answered hesitantly. “Just in case he's still watching us.”  _ And also because I really like the way your hands feel on me. _

“He definitely is. I can smell the fleabag.”

Kagome made a face. Great. 

“Ugh, why? I made myself clear.”

“Probably waitin’ to see if you’re really my girlfriend or not.”

_ And you’re not. _ He didn’t say it but he didn’t have to. And was that a touch of disappointment in his voice? No, it couldn’t be. More likely it was wishful thinking on her part. Otherwise, why would he have avoided her so much when they’d shared classes together? It made no sense.

“Well, I  _ am,” _ Kagome said, a bit more forcefully than she’d intended and he gave her a weird look. “I mean, for tonight anyways,” she hastily amended, blushing.

“Right. For tonight.” He gave her a long look and her cheeks heated further.

Kagome knew she was probably being incredibly obvious. Her heart wouldn’t calm down. She hoped he would assume the flush to her cheeks was due to her intoxication and not because of the desire she was feeling for him. A little desperate to escape the brighter lighting of the bathroom area, she took hold of his hand and stepped away, tugging him along after her.

“Come on, let’s lose him in the crowd,” she told him at his look of confusion.

“Yeah, good idea.”

Making their way back into the strobing lights and throng of dancing people, Kagome finally stopped when she made it to the middle of the floor. They were near a column and Inuyasha wasted no time positioning himself in front of her with her back against it. Her eyes went wide.

“So he can’t see you,” he explained, leaning down to speak so she could hear his words over the music, his face so close to hers she could count every eyelash. Rather than move away, he kept himself braced over her form, his gold eyes unnaturally bright in the muted light. Once again, Kagome found herself captivated, so much so she almost didn’t catch his next words.

“I’m sorry, what?”

“I said, the wolf is still watchin’. Whaddya wanna do?” Inuyasha looked a little amused, if a bit awkward himself. Kagome was having a hard time because his demeanor was so at odds with the Inuyasha she had known from her classes. While part of her wondered what had caused the change...she liked it. Maybe a little too much.

“Dance with me,” Kagome said, staring up at him.

Without waiting for his answer, she wrapped her arms around him and began to move to the beat of the song currently playing. It was something by Halsey, and therefore safe enough. Looking more than a little awkward now, Inuyasha hesitated a moment before nodding his agreement. One of his hands came down to rest lightly on her hip, his touch soft, as if he was afraid to cross that unspoken boundary.

And Kagome wanted him to cross it, badly. She just didn’t have the courage to tell him so. Instead, she pressed herself into him, using the excuse of dancing to get away with what she would have ordinarily never dared. 

She saw his eyes widen just the slightest bit before they went half-lidded, and his grip on her hip grew more firm. But it still wasn’t enough, not for her. Not when she suddenly wanted his hands all over her. The thought surprised her, and she felt a little shameless. But it didn’t need to be enough for her, it just had to satisfy Koga’s perception of them as a couple.

But it didn’t stop her from wanting more.

****

Sango sighed, checking her phone. It had been thirteen minutes since Kagome left to use the bathroom. Normally, she wouldn’t think anything of it but after Koga’s repeated advances, well...it didn’t exactly inspire confidence. The two shots she had ordered still sat on the bar, untouched. Sango eyed them, wondering if she should just leave them and go look for Kagome.

Music blasted over the speakers, playing one of her favorite songs, but Sango suddenly found she wasn’t in a dancing mood. Not when she was getting increasingly worried about her friend. She decided she’d wait for another full song to play before going to look for her. That was reasonable, right?

Just as the music was changing again the crowd behind her parted and a man slipped out to stand beside her. She didn’t bother to look at him, keeping her attention on her phone. Almost immediately, she felt his eyes on her as he looked her over.

“Hey,” he said, almost shouting to be heard over the music.

“Not interested,” Sango returned, sparing him a glance. And then stared, because  _ damn _ he was hot. 

His thick black hair was tied back into a low ponytail, showing off his rather chiseled jawline and the gold hoops glinting at his ears. He was taller than her by almost a head, and fit. But his eyes were what really did her in. They were the most unique shade of violet-blue she had ever seen, and for a moment she was arrested in his gaze. Then someone bumped into her from behind and the spell broke.

She shook her head. He was just another pretty face trying to hit on her. And damn was he pretty, but guys like him were usually interested in one thing and one thing only. Sango wasn’t that type of girl, despite how attracted she was to him. No, she had standards, thank you very much. She began to turn away from him again but his next words gave her pause.

“You’re Sango, right?”

“How the hell do you know my name?” she demanded, spinning back around. The man’s eyebrows shot up a bit but he stood his ground. While he didn’t back away, he did raise a hand in a placating gesture.

“Just hear me out, please,” he said, stepping closer and giving her a charming smile. Sango allowed it only because it was so damn hard to hear anything in the club. She nodded warily, waiting.

“I’m Miroku. My friend Inuyasha is helping out your friend Kagome by pretending to be her boyfriend. Some wolf youkai was bothering her,” he explained.

Sango’s eyes widened at that information, then narrowed into a glare. That fucking wolf had followed Kagome, probably waiting for her to be alone. Asshole. It might have been the alcohol, but her fingers itched with the urge to punch him in the face. 

But he wasn’t here right now and Miroku was. Letting out a relieved breath, Sango tried for a smile. These guys had been willing to help Kagome and she wanted to express her gratitude. Glaring wasn’t the way to do it. And while she didn’t know this Inuyasha guy, for some reason his name sounded familiar...

Miroku watched her carefully, relaxing when it appeared her glare wasn’t meant for him. Truthfully, he was thrilled for the excuse to talk to her. He had noticed her almost immediately after entering the club with Inuyasha. Despite all the other women in the place there was something that drew his eye to her and her alone. He didn't know what it was, but he wanted to find out. However, after witnessing Koga’s repeated come-ons and how fed up both Kagome and Sango were getting with him, Miroku didn’t think it was in his best interest to approach her.

But  _ now _ he had the perfect reason.

“Thank you,” Sango said, grabbing one of the shots and sliding it over to him. “I knew I should have gone with her. Consider this a sign of my gratitude. This doesn’t really cover it, but take it.”

“Usually the guy is supposed to buy the girl a drink,” Miroku remarked, but he took it anyway. 

"Is your masculinity feeling threatened?" she teased.

“Not at all,” he said, throwing it back. And then made a face. “What  _ is _ this?”

Sango laughed at his reaction and he couldn’t help but to smile back in response. 

“It’s called a starburst shot.”

“What the hell is in it?”

“I have no idea but it’s delicious. You didn’t like it?” She looked amused.

“I wasn’t expecting it to be so sweet.”

“I love sweet things.” Sango said it like a challenge before downing her own shot.

“Is that so?” Miroku said, leaning closer. Sango almost held her breath at the intent way his eyes were taking her in. “Well  _ I _ can be very--”

"You!" 

Koga suddenly appeared beside her looking absolutely trashed. And mad. Never a good combination. Sango instinctively tried to back up but Koga grabbed her arm, snarling angrily. And Sango got pissed right back. Twisting her elbow, she grabbed hold of his wrist and slammed it down onto the bar top.

“Don’t touch me,” she snapped.

Koga snapped his teeth right back at her. “I knew you were lyin’!”

"What are you talking about? And let go of me!”

Sango tried to pull her arm away but she couldn’t shake his bruising grip. Between his inhuman strength and how intoxicated she was, it was proving difficult. Koga realized this and gave a savage grin, whirling her around and invading her personal space. She glared, still trying to yank her arm free.

And then Miroku grabbed onto the arm Koga was using to hold her in place. A spark of blue danced from his fingertips into Koga and the wolf youkai yelped, releasing Sango and jerking back.

“Leave her alone or you’ll be getting more than a friendly zap,” Miroku warned, all charm gone from his voice. Watching the way the wolf had grabbed Sango so roughly had caused a surge of irritation to rush through him.

“Fine! Fuck you both.”

With one last snarl, Koga pushed past them and took off in a huff, his tail swishing angrily behind him as he stormed away. They both watched his rather dramatic exit without comment. Letting out a breath, Sango rubbed at her arm, wincing slightly. Turning away from the crowd, she faced Miroku and noted the genuine concern for her in his eyes. It warmed her. He wasn’t turning out to be what she’d expected, and his reiki had only added to the surprises.

“Are you okay?”

Sango nodded, feeling annoyed but also a little impressed. “Yeah. Thank you. I can usually handle myself, but he was...strong. And I’m a little drunk.”

“Mmm, I’m sure. I gotta say, the way you slammed his hand down onto the bar was kind of hot.” Miroku gave her a half grin.

“What you did was pretty impressive, too,” she admitted with a small smile of her own.

“Impressive enough to get your phone number?”

Sango’s first instinct was to say no but something made her pause before the words could pass her lips. Maybe it was all the alcohol in her system, or the way he was looking at her, or that attractive smirk on his face. Or even how he’d managed to keep his gaze on her face rather than her breasts after his first initial once-over of her body.

“Yes, actually,” she said. 

“Really? Yes?” Miroku blinked, a bit astonished at her response. 

“What, did you change your mind?” 

“No, I just didn’t think you would say yes.”

“I didn’t either,” Sango confessed.

“Well, it must be my lucky night, then.” Miroku gave her a suggestive wink.

Sango rolled her eyes. “Sure, but my number is the only thing you’re getting from me tonight. Don’t get ahead of yourself, pretty boy.”

"You think I'm pretty." He grinned, clearly pleased.

"So? I'm sure most of the other girls here do, too."

"But I'm not interested in those other girls. I'm interested in  _ you." _

Sango blushed in spite of herself, hoping he wouldn’t notice in the dim lighting. She could tell he meant it, too. Rather than respond to that, she held her hand out for his phone. He gave it to her with a knowing smile as she input her digits. He was clearly waiting for her to say something back but she decided to change the subject.

“Here,” she said, handing his phone back. “So where’s Kagome and your friend? Should we go find them?”

“I’m sure they’re working hard at putting on a show for the wolf.”

Now  _ that _ was something she wanted to see. 

“I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to miss that,” she said with a grin. She could just picture it now, Kagome awkwardly draping herself over another guy and trying to look natural about it. Grabbing Miroku’s hand, Sango pulled him along as she left the bar and dove into the crowd of dancing bodies. 

Miroku followed along without any resistance. He definitely didn't want to miss it either, nor did he want to let go of her hand.

****

When Miroku had dragged him out to the club that night, Inuyasha had been dreading it. He wasn’t even really sure why he had agreed, except maybe to finally get the other man off his back about ‘having some fun.’ Not that there was anything  _ fun _ to him about being around a bunch of sweaty and aroused bodies bumping into him, or the walking around on floors sticky with spilled alcohol, or the blaring music that hurt his ears.

Now, with Kagome hanging onto him and pressing that sweet body of hers into him, he couldn’t seem to find a reason to complain anymore.

It was actually thanks to Miroku that he had even noticed she was at the club in the first place. A few minutes after walking in he had grabbed onto his arm and pointed, saying, “Damn, I think I just found my future wife.”

Inuyasha had rolled his eyes, following the line of Miroku’s finger and then froze. While it was clear Miroku was talking about the woman with long dark-brown hair dressed in red, his own gaze was fixed upon her friend, the slightly shorter girl with wavy black hair and a smile bright enough to light up a room.

“Oh no, are you interested in her, too?” Miroku had asked, before realization set in and he smirked. “Ahh, her friend. Why don’t you go talk to her?”

“Keh, no thanks,” Inuyasha had grunted. “I used to know her, is all.”

“Sure,” Miroku had said, unconvinced.

Shortly after spotting the two women, the wolf youkai had started sniffing around them, pissing Inuyasha off. It wasn’t any of his business though, so he stayed out of it, eventually losing sight of them for a while. Then, while taking a moment in front of the bathrooms, she had appeared. Grabbing onto him and asking him to pretend to be her boyfriend.

So of course he had said yes.

Back when they’d had classes together, he had immediately known something was different about her. It was something in her scent and the strong pull he felt towards her. Part of him knew what that had to mean, but he was a hanyou and she was a miko. All his life people had treated him like dirt because of his heritage, and while she was nice to him, that didn’t mean anything. So he had done his best to keep her at a distance rather than risk the heartache.

Half-breeds like him didn’t get mates.

But then they had been assigned a group project together and she had gotten sick. He had tried to stay away, he really had, but he just couldn’t seem to help himself. His intentions had been only to keep her caught up on class and their project, but after seeing her so pale and her eyes so glassy, he’d been overcome with the need to  _ make her better. _ It was like an instinct he just couldn’t fucking ignore. So he had made her soup like some goddamn sap.

Once she was feeling better she had come back, all excited to see him again. While her enthusiasm towards him had almost been enough to make him relent, somehow he’d managed to maintain his outward indifference towards her, even though it was killing him a little bit on the inside. The look on her face at his shortness had been like a punch to the gut, but he’d told himself it was for the best.

And he’d regretted it ever since.

Now, months later, here she was. Clinging to him and staring up at him with those big brown eyes of hers, swaying a little bit. Either to the music or because of the alcohol, it was hard to tell. Maybe a combination of both. And Inuyasha swore to himself that he was going to finally do what he hadn’t allowed himself to do before. It was his second chance and he wasn’t gonna blow it. The only problem was, he wasn’t exactly sure how to go about it.

However, he knew he wouldn’t get a better opportunity than by pretending to be her boyfriend. If she wanted him to pretend to be her boyfriend then he was gonna be the best damn fake boyfriend she ever had. But the line between real and pretend was starting to blur the more he touched her. He didn’t want it to be fake.

Inuyasha didn’t think Kagome did either.

He kept catching hints of her scent spiking every time his hands gripped her just a little more tightly, or when their faces grew just a little too close. It only lasted a second before it got lost amid the other smells of sweat and alcohol and the arousal of the other people all around them. But it was definitely there. He knew he wasn’t imagining it. Between that and the way she had been blushing earlier, it was making him more and more certain that he actually had a chance of turning this charade into something real.

They danced, and he tried to keep his touches from straying to the places he really wanted to touch. It was probably coming across as a little awkward but he was afraid that if he really went all in on this pretend game they had going on, well, it might end up being more than Kagome bargained for. He didn't know if he could hold himself back from letting his real feelings show if he crossed that line.

“I’m surprised you agreed to play along. In all our classes you always made it a point to avoid me.” Kagome’s voice was soft and brought him back to reality.

Inuyasha held back a grimace. It was a fair question and to be honest, he had been kind of expecting it.

“It wasn’t anything against you. I know it’s a fuckin’ cliche but it really was me and not you. I’m sorry.”

“So what changed?”

He froze. Literally like a deer caught in headlights by a five foot three woman. Oh shit. How does one explain the undying need to protect and care for the woman who was their mate without actually revealing to them they were destined to be together?

It was just like how he was freaked out when he had shown up at her apartment with probably the most thorough notes he had ever taken in his entire college career because he knew she was going to need them. And then made her fucking soup. Fuck. 

Her eyebrow crooked and she gazed at him skeptically. Words. He needed to say words.

“Uh--didn’t want that fuckin’ wolf maulin’ ya. I could tell you were scared.”

“Oh…” She sounded disappointed. Fuck. He didn’t want to let her go yet. 

“If I told ya, ya wouldn’t believe me,” he stated vaguely.

Suddenly her face was too close, well not really, but closer than it had been and he could smell the cherry-flavored vodka on her lips. “Try me.”

“I was stupid before.”

“What does that mean?”

“I--I didn’t want to get too close. You’re a miko. I’m a hanyou. Do the math.”

“But I was nothing but friendly--right? Did I do something that made you think I wouldn’t want to be friends with you or something?” Or something alright. He definitely wanted to be ‘something’.

“No--not outwardly. I’m just dumb and thought too much into the situation.”

“But what does that  _ mean?” _ she insisted, her small hands clutching at him and pulling him in. One of those hands inched its way up, entangling itself into his hair and he almost fucking purred. Like a goddamn cat. He was a goner.

And then like a wet blanket the smell of wolf filled his nostrils. Inuyasha could see the asshole through his peripheral vision, watching with arms crossed over his chest and a frown. Turning his head slightly to get a better look, Inuyasha took in the unconvinced expression in his eyes. This Koga prick was still determined to slide in the moment he turned his back on Kagome. Not that that was happening, but the wolf clearly wasn’t buying what they were selling. It was time to up the game.

And maybe test the waters with Kagome.

"Listen, that damn wolf is still watchin'."

Kagome blinked at the subject change, the alcohol making it take longer than it should for her mind to catch up. Her face scrunched up into an adorable little frown. "But why? I told him I wasn't interested. I told him I was  _ with you." _

"Doesn’t matter. He’s an asshole and he’s drunk as fuck."

"Why won't he just give up?"

"He ain't buyin' that we're a couple. A little dancin' and a few touches ain't gonna cut it. We gotta be more convincing."

“How?”

And here it was. The moment of truth. His chance.

“Do you trust me?”

Kagome’s frown turned into a look of confusion. “Um, I mean, I haven't known you very long. Maybe? But--”

“Dammit woman, yes or no?”

“Fine! Yes.”

Her permission was all he needed. Using his hand on her hip, Inuyasha guided her closer, pulling her in. He saw her eyes widen in realization just before he crashed his lips against hers and kissed her.

Kagome made a soft sound of surprise that was quickly muffled as his mouth claimed hers. She tasted like cherries and vanilla, a sweet and intoxicating combination _. _ Maybe it was the vodka, or maybe it just her own natural flavor. Whichever the case, Inuyasha had a feeling she would always taste fucking perfect to him. And he hoped she would give him a million more opportunities to find out because this one kiss wasn’t going to be nearly enough. After this, he was always going to crave her.

She didn’t pull away as he had halfway feared, but instead melted into him. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pressed herself closer and he couldn’t hold back the pleased growl that escaped him. His other hand came up to cradle the back of her head, fingers combing through her hair. Unable to help himself, he backed her up against the column and she sighed in clear bliss, one of her hands reaching up to rub at his ears. He took advantage of the opening to slip his tongue into her mouth and she kissed him back greedily. When her tongue stroked against his fangs he almost lost it.

And her scent. It was driving him fucking crazy. For a moment, he completely forgot the whole reason behind the kiss or even that they were in public. The rest of the crowd had totally fallen away and her body against his was the only thing he was interested in.

Public. Right, they were in public.

With an effort, Inuyasha dragged his mouth away from hers, breathing heavily. Kagome slowly opened her eyes, panting. The glazed-over look slowly disappeared in light of something...apprehensive. As if she wasn’t quite sure where they stood after that kiss. And after her reaction to him, he was wondering the same thing. For a long moment they both just stared at each other.

“Is...is he gone?” she asked, her voice breathy, breaking the silence between them.

Right. The whole reason he had fucking kissed her to begin with. Well, not the  _ whole _ reason, but as far as she was concerned. Inuyasha inhaled and looked at the crowd around them. No sign of the wolf anymore. 

“Nah, he’s gone. I can’t smell or see him,” he replied, his voice much more gruff than usual. Fuck, he still wanted her.

Kagome looked torn between relief and disappointment. “Oh. That’s good.”

“Yeah.” Inuyasha paused before the next words left his mouth. “I guess this means you don’t need me to pretend to be your boyfriend anymore.”

She stared at her feet for a second before meeting his gaze again. “What if he comes back, though?”

Kagome felt like she was grasping at straws to get him to stay but she didn’t want this to end. Her old feelings for him were rising to the surface, complicating matters. And that kiss had made her head spin. She felt a little dizzy and it wasn’t because of the alcohol, not this time. His touch incited things within her that she hadn’t felt before. She wanted to think that maybe he felt something for her too, but she was scared to read too much into it. Maybe he was just really good at faking it, but he was making it feel so real to her. So much so that he even had  _ her _ convinced, now.

“I’ll stay with ya, then. We can pretend a little longer,” Inuyasha said with a small smile.

“I don’t want this to be pretend.”

Inuyasha’s eyes widened and Kagome gasped. Letting go of him, she clapped her hands over her mouth as if she could hold back the words that had already escaped. She must have been more drunk than she realized for that to have slipped out. Horrified, she blushed crimson as her own eyes widened.

“Oh, God. Did I say that out loud?”

Inuyasha’s look of shock slowly shifted into something that made her blush for an entirely different reason. The heat in his eyes sent shivers through her body even as her mouth went dry. A fang poked out as he gave her a grin.

“You did,” he confirmed, “and there’s no takin’ it back.”

“I--I mean--that is...” Words failed Kagome as she struggled to come up with a reason that wasn’t  _ I think I’m a little bit in love with you so that’s why I don’t want this to be pretend. _ Inuyasha wasn’t actually her boyfriend, as much as she wished otherwise. “I...I’m sorry, I know you’re just doing this to help me out. Please just ignore what I said.”

“Didn’t I say there was no takin’ it back?” Inuyasha leaned close and she could almost taste his breath. It made her hold her own, wondering if he was going to kiss her again. But he would have to be insane to do that after her confession, right?

“Please don’t tease me.”

“I’m not.”

“Then why are you being like this?” she asked a little desperately.

“Ain’t it obvious? I don’t want it to be pretend, either.”

It was Kagome’s turn to stare at him in shock. “You...you don’t?”

“No, you idiot. Why do ya think I agreed so quickly?”

She gaped at him. “I--I did wonder about that! But I didn’t think it was possible after the way you ignored me in all our classes.”

“I was stupid, and I regret it.”

“So...so if you don’t want this to be pretend, then what does that mean?”

“It means you agree to date me.” With the dim lighting it was hard to tell, but it looked like maybe he was blushing just the slightest bit.

Kagome's guarded expression transformed into a shy smile. “Okay.”

**Author's Note:**

> Next chapter expect more MirSan interaction, plenty more InuKag, and plenty of fluff and hilarity when these guys take these tipsy ladies home~


End file.
